First flown from RAF Bicester on 25 October 1939, the Handley Page Halifax entered service with 35 Squadron in November 1940. The Halifax l and ll aircraft were powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and the Halifax lll was powered by Bristol Hercules engines, Apart from its role as a heavy bomber, the Halifax lll and later versions also served in Coastal Command and in paratrooping and glider towing roles. Yorkshir was the home of 4 and 6 groups Bomber Command and three Halifax Squadrons were based at Elvington, 77 Squadron, and two French Air Force Squadrons, 346 (Guyenne) and 347 (Tunsie). The Yorkshire Air Museum's Halifax reconstruction is based on a section of the fuselage of Halifax ll, HR792, which carried out an emergency landing on the Isle of Lewis in 1945. The wings came from Hastings, TG536,at RAF Catterick. The reconstruction is named 'Friday the 13th" in honour of Halifax, LV907, which survived 128 operations with 158 Squadron, It is the only surviving Halifax in the world.

Designed to meet an Air Ministry specification for a twin-engined "world-wide use" medium bomber, the Handley Page Halifax first flew on September 24, 1939. This aircraft was one of the first British bomber designs to use four engines. During WWII, it flew 82,773 operations for the RAF Bomber Command, dropping 224,207 tons of bombs. It also served as a glider tug and in special operations missions such as parachute drops of arms and agents over occupied Europe. Under the RAF Coastal Command, the aircraft served in reconnaissance and meteorological roles, and in anti-submarine warfare. After the war, Halifaxes went on to serve as freighters for British airlines.